The TNA MP and party spokesperson, M A Sumanthiran on Sunday stressed the unity government was essential if the constitution making process was to proceed. 

His comments, which were made to reporters following a Thai Pongal celebration at the party office in Colombo, echoed that of TNA leader Mr Sampanthan. 

Mr Sumanthiran added that investigations in corruption should not cause the unity government to end. 

Over 40,000 people in the North-East displaced by the armed conflict remain displaced over eight years on, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka reported on Tuesday. 

"During its three year period in office the government has resettled only 3,996 people," JDS noted. 

"The ministry of resettlement and rehabilitation says that 40,938 members of 12,674 internally displaced families have not been resettled by the end of October 2017."

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Sri Lankan navy personnel arrested 16 Tamil Nadu fishermen and pounded four fishing trawlers on Monday for allegedly poaching in the island's waters. 

The Pakistani Army Chief is visiting Sri Lanka on the invitation of the Sri Lankan Army Commander.

According to FT.lk, the chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa will also call on the Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister to “discuss issues of regional security and matters of mutual interest.”

The Sri Lankan President told his supporters that he has spent the last three years of his tenure winning over the international community, according to dailynews.lk.

"The international community kept faith in me and 193 countries of the United Nations are good friends of Sri Lanka," President Maithripala Sirisena told supporters at an election rally in Hambantota.

Sri Lanka has sought advice from the International Monetary Fund to restructure the Central Bank according to the country’s deputy economic development minister.

A meeting took place in the backdrop of a Presidential Commission report into the Central Bank bond scam which rocked Sri Lankan politics last year, forcing the resignation of then foreign minister Ravi Karunanayake.

Deputy Minister Harsha de Silva said the advice was sought to restructure the Central Bank in keeping with global best practices, reports the Daily Mirror.

A member of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) was refused entry into Sri Lanka on January 11 after landing at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with his family, Ceylon Today reports. 

Suresnath Ratnabalam, who formerly held the title of 'TGTE MP' was stopped by immigration officials at passport control as he is reportedly on a blacklist. 

Mr Ratnabalam and his family were deported. They were placed on a Bangkok bound flight, the paper reported. 

Residents and kite enthusiasts gathered at Valvettithurai Uthayasooriyan coast on Sunday to enjoy the Thai Pongal kite competition. 

Sri Lankan election officials are to check the backgrounds of candidates standing for election at the upcoming local government polls, the Sunday Times reports. 

The directive came from the Election Commission which ordered District Assistant Commissioners to check if candidates had criminal records and if any former public servants standing for election were adhering to election law. 

Sri Lanka's president, Maithripala Sirisena has overruled a decision to lift the ban preventing women from buying or selling alcohol amid an outcry among Buddhist clergy. 

Mr Sirisena's actions come just days after the government announced its decision to amend the law. 

Senior Buddhist monks criticised the lifting of the ban arguing it would causing women to become addicted to alcohol and lead to the break down of 'Sri Lankan culture'.